Pockets II - Simple Curved Patch Pockets

My favorite way to make a curved patch pocket is to serge the edge, and then fold in the edge as I top-stitch it onto the garment. The serged edge, being a little bit stiffer from all the extra loopy thread, is very easy to fold in, especially if your seam-ripper is working with you to prod it all in place.

Another method I know of but rarely use, is sewing a gathering stitch (long stitches, pulled manually after) along the curved edge and gathering the seam allowance to make a curved edge. I'll show this in a later post.

Here is a nice in-between method that's nothing new, but quite effective.

You'll need a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard the shape of your actual finished pocket (i.e. minus seam allowances). Finish the edges as you would usually do -serge, zig-zag etc.


Lay it on the wrong side of your pocket and press the seam allowance over the cardboard, pulling it taut over the edge of the cardboard.


When you flip it over, there'll be a nice crisp, smooth curved fold.


And you can just pin the whole pocket in place (finish the top edge first, of course) and top-stitch it down.

Now that's a fancier-than-usual patch pocket because it has that yoke with some white trim. We'll revisit this pocket in a later post to learn how to make that. For now, it's sufficient that we have conquered the curves.


Here are a couple of other simple curved pocket variations:

No hem allowance at the top edge - just bound it right off with bias tape. Also tucked in ric-rac around the rest of the perimeter as I top-stitched it on.

And look - you can do it in knits, too!

I didn't iron/press my pocket seam allowances because knit doesn't work so well with that method - instead I just tucked them in with my seam-ripper as I top-stitched the edges down onto the skirt - but wanted to reassure you that it is absolutely possible to do curved folds in knit.

Next up: Funny-shaped patch pockets!